Soft, tender, vanilla drop cookies studded with white chocolate chips are a nice change from "all chocolate, all the time." A prolonged chilling period for the dough creates a deep, complex flavor with caramel notes that balance its sweetness. The cookies are small, just right for gifting or sampling.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each and scraping the bowl before adding the next.
Mix in the vanilla, salt, and baking powder.
Add the flour, mixing until combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips.
Transfer the dough to a covered container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and as long as 48 hours. This long chill will enhance the cookies’ flavor significantly.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets or line with parchment.
Scoop 1" balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets; a teaspoon cookie scoop is ideal for this.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 9 minutes, until just barely beginning to brown around the edges.
Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the pan on a rack.
Store Vanilla-White Chocolate Drop Cookies in airtight containers for 1 week; freeze for longer storage.
These cookies are quite plain-looking. To give them visual panache, poke a few additional white chips into each of the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
For a nice variation, substitute butterscotch chips (or the flavored chips of your choice) for the white chocolate chips.
